Ok, I need some advice again please, lol! I have a sick dog who is stinking up my house. It's ongoing and I can't leave her outside during the day.... basically, it's just a strong almost-like-wet-dog smell is how one of my co-workers put it. We're working on getting the dog healthier obviously, but there's not much we can do now about the situation and honestly I don't smell it except for when I first walk in the house when it's been shut up all day.

On the other hand, in trying to "air" the house out, we've discovered that the majority of windows are painted shut. There's two that we've managed to open about a foot, enough to pop a little screen in there (no screens on the windows). The windows are very old and seem very likely to break if we use "violence" to open them. If we could just open the kitchen window and the living room window, I think it would create enough of a draft to get the smell out. We can't open the back door, it's onto a porch that is ungodly hot right now. The front door only has a screen in the screen door. So I have one open window in the dining room on the main floor and one upstairs in the spare room and while we're home, the front door stays open (our house stays remarkably cool in the summer except for the upstairs, no big deal to open windows usually).

So, to give a brief on what we've done to help with the smell.... we have deep cleaned all the carpet on the main floor with pet odor shampoo, several times, the furniture as well. We vacuum regularly. The dog is bathed somewhat regularly (according to the vet's directions). We have plug in air fresheners as well as the little gooey renuzit ones spread thru the house too. The dog also spends a majority of time outside in the evenings.

I'm having a party AND a bridal shower in two weeks, I need to do something not only for ourselves but for our guests too. Any suggestions on how to get rid of the smell and/or get those stupid windows to open would be appreciated (and burning down the house is NOT an option ; )

moonduck

I know there are odor removing candles out there and also moisture beads that you just set out and they absorb odors.

I will see if I can find a link.

~Aurora

How about charcoal, like what is used for fish tanks. that is an odor absorbent.

Just a thought

~Aurora

Moonduck,
The first thing I would consider is whether you can live without your carpets. Air fresheners don't remove the odors, they just cover them up with another smell. We don't use them. If I recall you have a menagerie of pets, including cats. Have these animals always been indoor pets? We don't have many upholstered pieces, and the ones we do have, are leather.

We are doing some renovating ourselves. Last week we had 5 windows replaced. The old windows had shrinkwrap on them when we moved in and it wasn't until we sold our old house that we could address replacements. I have watched installers do this work here, and on our first house 15 years ago, so I think I can confidently say, it's not a hard job, if you know what you are doing. I'm sure Norm Abram and others have shows demonstrating how-to.

The windows may be difficult to open now if you're in a humid area. Did they open in the winter months? Are they painted or caulked shut? If you can't do the work yourselves, hiring someone to repair the windows may end up costing more than new replacements. There are trade-offs. I love historic old homes, but the previous owners had installed vinyl replacement windows on all but the 6 windows we're addressing. Luckily they left the front of the house as original! My house is 86 years old, but it doesn't feel old at all.

We are tearing out the carpet in our dining room this weekend. It is perfectly good, but not something we want. We expect to find hardwood in terrible condition. We will have a professional sand and replace old boards to get it back to something typical of 1921.

It's probably too late at this point, but I would have suggested the person throwing your bridal shower have a "home improvement" theme. I love shopping for tools and gadgets even more than the "man of the house." You might want to invest in a painter's 7-in-1 tool and get some dust masks.

Good luck.

Odor:

If it simply won't go away, you'll have to find something pungent to overpower it. Those cinnamon brooms they sell during the fall come to mind, as does smoke from aromatic pipe tobacco. What else... ooh! Fajitas! Cook fajitas before everyone arrives! (And you'll have snack/dinner taken care of.)

Bright idea: once you get the windows open—fully!—buy or borrow TWO box fans. They're usually pretty cheap because all they are is a square frame with a motor and blades. Put the INflow box fan on the cool side of the house and the OUTflow box fan on the blisteringly hot porch. Now you have a wind tunnel. Drop some cinnamon brooms in front of the IN flow fan, and you'll be thinking of pumpkin pie in no time...

Stuck windows:

You'll need a painter's tool or a metal putty knife. I've done it with a pocket knife, too, but be careful: you want the cutting edge to be sharp enough to cut through the paint but not sharp enough to gouge the wood. I've seen painters use a pizza cutter, too.

Once you get the paint cut, you'll want to insert the putty knife (thinnest blade) into the tiny gap between the window sash (the part that slides) and the "stop" (the part of the frame to which the windows has been "glued". Run the putty knife up and down (you may have to remove and reinsert as necessary) from top to bottom to help release any stuckification. Repeat for the other side.

Also remember to cut the paint on the top of the lower sash, as the two may have been painted together.

You may also find it necessary to repeat the "putty knife slide" on the outside of the sash.

IMPORTANT: The paint you're cutting may have lead in it (was that you who asked about lead paint?) if the house is very old. So don't breathe while you're doing this. Wash thoroughly afterwards, and wash your clothing.

Lots of detailed help from StarSaels! I was thinking of some of the things he wrote, I just didn't remember to add them.

The lead paint -- most homes built before 1978 (very old?) are likely to contain lead-based paint.

Pleasant odors - Fajitas are a quick fix! I prefer candles with colonial scents - pumpkin, cloves and other spices. I adore gingerbread cookies. But we are talking HOT AUGUST.

Box Fans - some fire stations will sell them for $10.

Last word of advice --- if you don't have much experience with DIY home improvements, find some mentors. Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, or some other organization that has wise old people that want to show you how to fix things. We are fortunate to have parents that did not pay others to do these odd jobs and we were gophers as kids.

Thanks! I used to have an old, old house and have plenty of experience unsticking, repairing and replacing/upgrading windows.

And I just realized I need to clarify cutting the paint...

You want to position whatever tool you're using in the corner where the stop and sash meet so that if the blade were to suddenly move forward, it would end up in the gap ... not embedded in the sash frame!

Old things may seem rickety, but oftentimes they were built to last... a little extra nudging might not hurt as much as you think... unless you're living in a tumbledown shack!

Another tip that might help release what the putty knife can't: place a small section of 2x4 up against the sash, right next to the stop, and smack it with a hammer (as if you were going to smash the window). Repeat on the outside.

This might also loosen the stuckiness in the sash channels, which are on the sides of the sash frame.

Another pain in the a&&: the weights and pulleys have become stuck, which means the window is going to be very difficult to open, and you will inevitably have to yank the windows out. But that's another story, one which I could go on and on and on...

Hey, that's good! The only thing I missed was loosening the bottom of the window on the outside....

They sell heavy duty air fresheners at home depot they are a solid in a wide mouth plastic jar with a flow through cover. I think they had a pet stink remover one and febreeze might have a pet stink formula one, too. For the party, you really want those odors gone, so these might help. Check at the local pet super store, they might have some good ideas or products there as well!

six stars

Wow, thanks everyone, I think this is going to help a lot. Now we have our weekend project, unsticking the windows and -for now- covering up the odor if it doesn't leave, lol! Luckily we do have box fans already, we just can fit them into the windows yet.... (altho we have set them in front of them) ; )

The windows that are stuck don't open in the winter (I thankfully thought of checking that before the snow flew but while it was very cold). The one in the kitchen is very obviously painted shut as well.

I do have a menagerie of animals, yes, besides the dog I have two cats, but they don't seem to stink, it's very much the dog (we just went to the vet an hour ago, we're doing allergy testing and now that the blood is drawn, we're back on meds again that the vet says should get her to stop being so smelly). The carpet is all brand new so I'm reluctant to take it out (and we're pretty sure whatever's under it is going to be a huge project) but it has been discussed. We put replacing the fuse box with a circuit breaker system, putting the soffit on, replacing the windows and remodeling the bathroom (including taking out the carpet that's in there) on top of the list before taking out the carpet (since it's new).

As for the shower being "home improvement themed" I think that's an awesome idea, but we did get a massive amount of tools for Christmas and our birthdays and my dad has a huge collection he keeps bringing us stuff from as well, not to mention we're free to borrow anything we want. I did register at Home Depot for several things (like a new toilet, since ours started leaking and replacing the wax ring didn't completely fix it).

Oh, and the house, according to the city paperwork, was built in 1935 which sounds about right for our neighborhood. I haven't had the lead testing done yet unfortunately, but I will be wearing a mask and stuff for working on the windows.

Thanks for all the advice, I think I'll be trying all of these things this weekend. It started raining today and whooooooo did that raise up the smell more still, it about knocked me over when we got back from the vet.

moonduck

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and we're pretty sure whatever's under it is going to be a huge project) but it has been discussed.

If it is indeed Hardwood it doesn't take much to make it look brand new. My hubby does hardwood floors for a living and you would be amazed at how nice these old floors look after being resanded and finished. Much cheaper than "New" floors.

He also says that the cats spray around the base boards and in corners most of the time without the homeowners even knowing. That is until they pull up the carpet and the pad underneath is all stained and stinky.

Good Luck in your Sprucing up =)

~Aurora

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He also says that the cats spray around the base boards and in corners most of the time without the homeowners even knowing.

Spray or urinate? My cats are fixed, so I don't think they get the "love urges" like that?

I was looking at my windows last night in preperation for this weekend.... gosh I hope the cooler weather stays at least through tomorrow! My fiance informed me that he wants to work on the yard and I start on the inside and then if I'm not done when he finishes, he'll help me..... but he's going to flatten out that funky dirt hill in our backyard, so I don't mind working on the windows alone, lol!!!!

moonduck

<<<Spray or urinate? My cats are fixed, so I don't think they get the "love urges" like that? >>>


Fixed cats can put out "something". Spray really stinks and neutered cats DO spray. And, after enough, pee stinks too.